Machine for dipping cigarettes



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U. H. & W. B. WHITAKER.

MACHINE FOR DIPPING GIGARETTES.

No. 399,808. Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

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MACHINE FOR DIPPING GIGARETTES.

No. 399,808.- Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

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. 'G. H. & W.'B. WHITAKER.

MACHINE FOE, DIPPING GIGARETTES.

No. 399,808. Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

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' G. H, & W. B. WHITAKER.

MACHINE FOR DIPPING GIGARETTES.

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CHARLES ll. XVIIITAKER AND \VALTER B. \VIIITAKER, OF DURl iAM, NORTHCAROLINA.

MACHINE FOR DIPPING ClGARETTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,808, dated March19, 1889. Application filed June 13, 1888. Serial No. 276,925- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. \VHITA- KER and WALTER B. WHITAKER,citizens of the United States, residing at Durham, in the county ofDurham and State of North (arolina, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in lllachines'for Dipping Cigarettes, of which the followingis a specification. Our invention relates to an improvement in machinesfor dipping cigarettes; and it con sists in the peculiar constructionand combination of devices that will be more fully set forthhereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, liigure 1 is a side elevation of acigarette-dipping machine embodying our improvennmt. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 .is a plan view of thesame. Fig. & is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, takenon the line .r .r of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail. perspective view of thelingered drum, its shaft, and the gear-wheel and pulleys thereon. Fig.(3 is a detail view of the fingered drum and the disks.

A represents a vertical rectangular I'rame, at one end of which is apairot' inclined arms, B. In the upper ends of the said arms isjonrnaled a shaft, 0, which is provided at its cen- 3o ter with a drum,1), and has a s n'ocket-wheel,

E, at one end.

F represents a pair of vertical arms orstandards which rise from theupper side of the frame A at a slight distance from the arms B, and inthe said standards is journaled a shaft, G, which is provided with adrum, ll, the latter being in line with the drum l) and connectedthereto by means of an endless conveyer, l The said carrier provided onits outer side with a series of transverse cleats, K, which areequidistant apart.

L represents a guideway, which is supported on vertical arms M, and hashorizontal slides N in its sides, which are arranged in the same planewith the upper side of the conveyer I. The inner end of the guideway Lis turned downward to form a mouth or discharge'portion, 0, and theinner ends of the slides N are also turned downward, as shown. A hoppercommunicates with the said guideway to provide for a machine-feed forthe conveyor I.

P represents a shaft, which is journaled in one end of the frame and isarranged under the guideway L. To the central portion of this shaft issecured adrum, R, and to one end thereof is secured alargesprocket-wheel, S, and a small sprocket-wheel, T. The latter isconnected to the wheel E by means of an endless sprocketchain. (Shown indotted lines in liig'. l.)

Y represents a pair of vertical arms or standards, which have theirlower ends rabbeted in vertical grooves \V in the sides of the frame.The lower ends of the said arms or standards are provided with verticalslots 6 X, and clam nng-bolts work in the said slots and engage thesides of the frame and serve to secure the arms or standards thereto atany desired vertical adjustment.

Y represents a shaft, which is journaled in the upper ends of the armsor stamlards and is provided with the drum Z.

A represents an endless conveyer, which connects the drums Z and R, andis provided on its outer side with a series of transverse parallelbuckets, 13, which are independently secured to the carrier or conveyorA and have sen]i-cylindrical or concave longitudinal recesses in theirouter sides.

G represents a guideway, which is arranged over the drum Z, and issupported by vertical arms or standards I).

E represents a shaft, which is journaled in the frame A in proximiq tothe standards V.

In one end of the said shaft is securecil asmall sprocket-wheel, l9",and at suitable distances from the center of the said shaft are secureda pair of circular disks, 6;.

ll" represents a shaft, which is jonrnaled in the frame A at a suitabledistance beyond 0 the shaft E. To the center of the said. shaft ii issecured a drum, 1, which is provided with a series of projectingperipheralfingers, K, the same being all curved in the direction inwhich the drum rotates. Secured to the said shaft 1i near the drum 1 isa pulley, L, which is of the same diameter as the said drum.

M represents a sprocket-wheel, which is socured to one end of the shaftll, and is in line with the wheels F and S, and N and 0 represent fastand loose pulleys, respectively, which are on the opposite end of theshaft 11.

P represents a pair of vertical arms or standards, which depend from theframe A,

and have their upper ends rabbeted in ver tical'grooves R in the sidesof the frame. The said upper ends of the standards are provided withvertical slots S, and clampingbolts T work in the said slots and engagethe sides of the frame. The function of the said clampingbolts is tosecure the arms or standards at any desired vertical adjustment.

U represents a shaft, which is journaled in the lower end of thestandards or arms P, and is provided at one end with a smallsprocket-wheel, V. To the said shaft, near the opposite end thereof, issecured a drum, \V, the periphery of which is grooved, as shown, and an.endless belt, X, connects the said drum and the pulley L 011 shaft 11.

Y represents a box or case, which is made of sheet-iron or othersuitable material, and is secured on one side of the frame A, near oneend thereof. Arranged in the said box or case is a smaller box or case,A a suitable space being formed between the opposing sides of the saidboxes or cases, and the said box or case A has its upper side open, andprovided with a hinged door, B

0 represents a steam-pipe, which communicates with a suitable boiler(not shown) or other source of steam, and has its inner end secured inan opening in one end of the box or case Y, and connnunicating with theconfined space therein, the function of the said pipe being to introducesteam to the space which surrounds the box or case A so as to heat thelatter and thereby melt pz'n'aliine, which is placed therein. The pipet? has a stop-cock or valve, D by means of which the supply of steam maybe controlled or cut off.

E re 'n'esents a feed box or trough, which is arranged within a somewhatlarger box, F so as to form a steam-space between the said boxes, andthe same are supported be low the frame A by means of depending arms orstandards G The said boxes or troughs are at such an elevation that thelower side of the drum \V, and consequently of the endless belt X, arewithin the feed-trough, so that paralline, which is fed to the latterfrom the reservoir box or case A by means of a pipe, llF will besupplied to the said endless belt when the machine is in operation. As'te am-1')i1')e, H leads from the steamspace of the reservoir-box A 170the steamspace surrounding the feed trough or box. The function of thesaid pipe is to introduce steam to the said steam-space, so as tomaintain the pal-affine in the feed-trough in a melted condition.Depending from the steamspace, between the feed-trough and thisinclosing case F is an escapepipe, K which is provided with a suitablestop-cock, whereby the escape of steam and water resulting fromcondensation may be regulated at will.

L represents a pair of vertical arms or standards which depend from theframe A, and have their upper ends rabbeted in vertical grooves M in thesides of the said frame, and said standards or arms have their upperends provided further with vertical slots N 0 represents clamping-bolts,which extend through the said slots and through the sides of the frame,the function of the said bolts being to secure the standards or arms atany desired vertical adjustment. In the lower ends of said standards orarms is journaled a shaft, P to the center of which is secured aperipherally-grooved drum or pulley, R

S? represents a pair of horizontal arms or brackets which projectlongitudinally from one end of the frame, have their inner end rabbetedin grooves in one pair of the supporting-legs of the frame, and providedwith longitudinal slots T Clamping bolts U work in the said slots andextend through the supporting-legs, and serve to secure the saidbracket-arms at any desired longitudinal adjustment. In the outer endsof said arms is journaled a shaft, V to the center of which is secured adrum or pulley, which is in line with the drum or pulley R X representsa large sprocket-wheel which is secured to one end of the shaft V Yrepresents an endless sprocketehain which connects the wheels X and S,engages the under side of the wheel V, engages the upper side of thewheels M and F, and engages the lower side of an idle sprocketavheel, Zthe function of which is to tighten the endless chain.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when thedriving-shaft ll is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow inFig. 1 the shafts V U, E, and I will be all rotated in the samedirection and at different rates of speed, according to the size of thes in'ocket-wheels on the said shafts.

A represents an endless belt or carrier which connects the drums W and Rand is provided on its outer side with a series of transverse holders,ll", which are arranged parallel with each other and have longitut'linaleoneaved recesses in their outer sides.

0 represents a delivery-table which is supported in an inclined positionin the frame A, near one end thereof, the lower end of the saiddelivery-table having a transverse opening, 1)", which is arranged abovethe belt or carrier A and the upper end of the said inclineddelivery-table being provided with extending arms or fingers E, whichbear against one side of the drum 1. In the side of the inclineddelivery-table which is proximate to the endless belt X is alongitudinal groove or slot, F. The sides of the delivery-table IIO areturned upward at right angles and bear against the outer sides of thedrum 1' and pulley L.

Projecting from the lower side of the guideway 0, 011 opposite sides ofthe same, are a pair of extension plates or arms, G", which form gagesand bear against the outer sides of the drum 1 and pulley L.

ll represents an endless chain which connects the wheel E and wheel T,thereby impartin g the rotary motion of the shaft P to the shaft (3, andconsequently causing the conveyer I to move in the direction representedby the arrow in Fig. 3 when the machine is in motion.

The operation of our invention is as follows: The cigarettes are fed oneby one, either by hand or by a suitable machine, onto the conveyer I,and are arranged parallel on the said conveyor between the cleats K. Thesaid con veyer serves to deliver the cigarettes one by one into theholders 15 on the conveyor A, and as the said conveyer moves in thedirection indicated by the arrow the cigarettes thereon are depositedsingly and in rapid succession onto the peripheries of the revolvingdisks G. The said disks are arranged in proximity to one side of thedrum 1, as shown in Fig. 2, and the said drum being also in rotation inthe same direction as the disks, the cigarettes are each momentarilysupported between the drum and the disks, and are caused to rotate withone end in contact with the belt X. Inasmuch as the said belt travelsthrough the melted par-affine in the feed-trough, the paraffine iscaused to adhere to the outer side of the belt, and consequently comesin contact with one end of each cigarette in succession, so that whilethe cigarette is being rapidly revolved a thin film of the paraffine isapplied thereto and caused to effectually coat the cigarette, and to dothe same more neatly than if the end of the cigarette were dipped into avessel of melted paraffine, as is now the common method employed. henthe cigarette has been caused to thus make a sufficient number ofrevolutions, one pair of the curved fingers K, which project from theperiphery of the drum, comes in contact with the cigarette and causesthe same to be carried over the drum and dropped upon the inclined table0 down which the cigarette rolls, and from which it drops into one ofthe holders 1-3 of the conveyerA. By reason of the slot or groove F inthe table the end of the cigarette which is coated with paraltine isprevented from coming in contact with the table, and the said paraiiinecoating partially cools and becomes solidified while the cigarette isrolling down the table. The drum I, the conveyors, and the revolvingdisks G are so timed that only one cigarette will be at any timerevolved between the d rum and the disks, the space between the pairs ofcurved fingers K being such that one pair of fingers will remove onecigarette as soon as its end has been coated and before anothercigarette is dropped by the conveyor A between the drum and the disks.The eonvcyerA serves to receive the cigarettes from the table 0" and todrop the same into a suitable receptacle, and the length of the conveyoris such that while the cigarettes are being carried by the same theparafline becomes entirely cooled and solidified, thus preventing thecigarettes from sticking together when bunched after having beendelivered by the machine.

.Having thus described. our invention, we claim 1. The combination, in.a machine for dipping cigarettes, of the revolving disks G, therevolving drum I, in proximity thereto having the peripheral fingers K,and means, substantially as set forth, to apply the parafline to thecigarettes while the same is revolving in contact with the drum anddisks.

2. The combination of the revolving disks the revolving drum inproximity thereto, whereby a cigarette fed to said drum and disks willbe positively rotated by frictional contact with their moving surfaces,the trough or vessel to contain melted paralfine, and the endless beltworking on a pulley in the contents of the said trough or vessel andpassing over a pulley at one end of the drum and in contact with therevolving cigarette, substantially as described.

The combination, in a machine for dipping cigarettes, of the revolvingdisks, therevolving drum in proximity thereto, means, substantially asset forth, to apply melted paraiiine to the cigarettes while the sameare in succession revolving in contact with the drum and disks, and theconveyer having the holders B, to deliver the cigarettes in successionbetween the disks and the drum, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a cigarette-dipping machine, of the revolvingdisks, the drum in proximity thereto and having the fingers K, and theinclined delivery-table having its up per end in proximity to one sideof the revolving drum, and means, substantially as set forth, to applyparafline to the cigarette while the latter is revolving in contact withthe drum and disks, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a machine for dipping cigarettes, of therevolving drum I and the revolving disks in proximity thereto,with theinclined delivery-table,the latter having its upper end arranged inproximity to the drum and being provided at one side with a groove orslot, l and the conveyor having the holders B, to deliver the cigarettesin succession between the disks and drum, substantially as described.

6. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the paral'iine trough orcase having the surrounding case F whereby a steam-space is formedbetween said trough and said case T the steam-pipe conmnmicating withsaid .case, the drum or pulley having its lower side arranged in thetrough, the revolving drum 1, having the pulley L, the endless belteonnecting said pulley with the pulley in the par affine-trough, and thedisks in proximity to one side of the drum and revolving in the samedirection therewith, substantially as described.

7 The combination, with the disks and [ingered drum arranged inproximity to each other and revolving in the same direction, of the conveyer having the holders B, to deliver the cigarettes in successionbetween the disks and drum, the inclined delivery-table having its upperend bearing against one side of the drum, and the endless belt orcarrier A ar ranged below the lower end of the deliverytable,substantially as described.

8. The combination, in a machine for dipping cigarettes, of the disksand drum arranged in proximity to each other and revolv ing in the samedirection, the pulley at one end of the drum, the paraffine-feeding beltpassing over said pulley, the conveyer A, and the guide 0', to deliverthe cigarettes from the conveyer between the disks and the drum, and thegageplates G on opposite sides of the drum and pulley, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. WHITAKER. WALTER B. WHITAKER.

\Vi tn esses:

R. C. STRUDWICK, F. D. MARKHAM.

